Busted Catalytic Converter

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VicVinegar

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Dec 28, 2011
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So after one mechanic said my exhaust noise was a front pipe, I brought it to another mechanic who says the front pipe is not leaking, but the rattling is coming from inside the cat. He said he clamped down the heat shields and everything to rule out other rattles and the cat is all that is left. He is amazed there is no CEL. He said something about melting down inside the cat, but I'm not sure if that is an observation or just a poor attempt and describing what could have happened.

My question is this. I've been running with the car like this for a few months. He said I should pass inspection with it (since there are no leaks and no CEL) and could just go with it being noisy. Could running with a bad cat cause damage to anything? I'm thinking it shouldn't.

Also, what is a decent brand for an aftermarket cat? He said he found one for a price that sounds reasonable enough to me, but I don't know what is junk and what is not. I'm going to fix it to avoid sounding like I am driving a heap, but don't want to buy junk just because it is cheaper.
 
Some vehicles (Nissans, for exmple) can suck pieces of the failed converter back into the exhaust valve area and back down the cylinder where the dedris will ruin the engine. It would help to know what vehicle you have (year, make, model, etc)
 
I have a Dodge Dakota that had a noisy cat. Now I'm not recommending that anybody do this, but I took a floor jack and put a dimple in the cat with the it. It's been quiet for several years now. More restrictive? Probably, but the dimple is a small one and every now and then I'll hook up a vacuum gauge and it shows that there is no problem with it. Officially, there is no fix except to replace it.
 
I am going to figure it is a Toyota. Replace it with a factory unit only. Restriction in the exhaust can cause further damage. You have emission certification in your area so you may want to get your inspection now while it will pass so you can save for the expensive converter.
 
Unfortunately that is an expensive one. The substrate inside the cat is close to the exhaust valves and could ruin your engine if ingested so I recommend not running the engine. Sometimes the A/M cats will only keep the check engine light off for a limited amount of time. You will need to balance overall value of car to justify the investment. Good fortune.
 
Well I'm going to dig through the Civic/Honda boards and see what I can find. Magnaflow and Bosal make direct fit aftermarket cats. Looks like some folks on some of the boards have used the Magnaflows with good result. Magnaflow is $272 vs. $728 for the OEM. I can swallow another $300 if it gets the job done. I'm really just looking to try and keep the car going for another couple years. Everything else should be relatively good to go for 13 years and 200k.
 
The mechanic/owner said he has had good luck with "DEC" which apparently stands for Diversified Environmental Catalysts. deccats.com

Although he invited me to shop around the internet and if I found something cheaper or another brand I wanted to try that I can buy it and they'll put it in.
 
I beleve DEC is good. Id try to get one that has a CARB registration, even though youre not in CA. The cost of these things is tied to the amount of precious metal inside. The cheap ones have barely enough to just squeak by when brand new. WIthin a year or two they are toast.

So unless youre going to swap it and sell it, Id get something halfway proper.
 
Originally Posted By: JHZR2
I beleve DEC is good. Id try to get one that has a CARB registration, even though youre not in CA. The cost of these things is tied to the amount of precious metal inside. The cheap ones have barely enough to just squeak by when brand new. WIthin a year or two they are toast.

So unless youre going to swap it and sell it, Id get something halfway proper.


True. The only reason I installed a Davico convertor for a woman was due to her limited funds and that she was planning on trading the car this spring. The Davico convertor fit perfectly and the codes have not returned...however it only has a 25000 mile warranty on the function of the convertor. That tells me there is the bare minimum of catalyst in there.
 
My car is marked LEV and was bought in NY, so I think it may technically have "CA" emissions. I need to check the sticker but was thinking I would need the CA model to be as close to OEM performance as possible.

Although I am noticing a lack of CA cats off the bat here for my model. DEC and Eastern have cats marked LEV, but they are for a different motor that has the cat as part of the exhaust manifold. Mine is under the car. DEC describes the 49 state direct fit model for my car as having a higher amount of noble metals. I'm guessing that is to conform to OEM?

Magnaflow does have a CA model for mine. But also has "standard" and "OEM" grade 49 state. I don't necessarily want the cheapest route, but would like to avoid the $750 OEM part. If I can get another 2 years out of this car with a few repairs here and there, I would be happy.
 
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Another question to tack on here. Any things in particular I should check to make sure there isn't a catalytic converter killing condition in the motor? I was going to get the Torque app and check the data for anything amiss. Car performs fine, so there is nothing obvious.

Or is it reasonable to say 13 years and 200k is a good run for one of these? I've seen conflicting opinions in my research. Some say they should never fail unless your motor causes it to.
 
Just for a data point, I did pass Virginia safety and emissions inspection. Once warmed up, it doesn't make that much noise, and I guess the mechanic I went to was accurate in saying there was no exhaust leak because the inspector apparently agreed. Since there is no CEL and it doesn't smoke, I guess I was all good. I'm still going to need to deal with the cat, but at least I don't need to worry about getting it in before the end of January now.
 
Originally Posted By: VicVinegar
Well I'm going to dig through the Civic/Honda boards and see what I can find. Magnaflow and Bosal make direct fit aftermarket cats. Looks like some folks on some of the boards have used the Magnaflows with good result. Magnaflow is $272 vs. $728 for the OEM. I can swallow another $300 if it gets the job done. I'm really just looking to try and keep the car going for another couple years. Everything else should be relatively good to go for 13 years and 200k.


One thought if you go Magnaflow: check AAP using the Magnaflow part number. They probably wouldn't have it in a store's stock given the vehicle's age, but shipping is free >$75 and you can use a coupon code to knock $50 off their price.

Also check Summit and Rock Auto as reference points if you haven't already.
 
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